How Asphalt Parking Lots are affected by the Spring Rain?

18 november 2021

How Asphalt Parking Lots are affected by the Spring Rain?

In spring, your asphalt paving might get cracks, potholes, and depressions. Professionals recommend preventative asphalt to maintain your pavement in this season. If you maintain your pavement regularly, there is little or no chance of getting worried about the major repairs. The experienced asphalt paving TN professionals suggest ways to prevent damages to your parking lots, driveways, and other structures.

Water Damages

A little open crack allows the water to run through the surface underneath and cause further damage. The asphalt binder and aggregates bond is affected by the water settling inside your paving. It erodes the asphalt which is now unprotected as the water weakness the bond of the supportive layers. This will eventually make your pavement surface look unappealing and unsafe.

Weather Fluctuations

Too cold or too hot weather is not good for your paving surfaces. If water is standing on the pavement surface at springtime, it will shrink and expand water molecules. Stripping takes place because of this spring water, which is a process of debonding aggregate and binder. Pavement starts to get weak as soon as the bonding of aggregate and binder weakens. This makes your paving surface vulnerable to big damages in the future. The pavement’s structural integrity can be compromised if the water makes its way to the sub-base. This problem must not be left untreated if you want to avoid resurfacing in the future. Get your repairs done as soon as you find small cracks that will likely become alligator cracks.

Sealcoating

Your pavement needs protection from temperature fluctuation and water, which is possible using seal coating. When you sealcoat your pavement, a layer is formed on the surface that protects it from snow, rain, fluids from vehicles, and UV rays. It is an easy way to prevent cracks in your pavement and increase its life. Sealcoating your pavement surfaces after 3-5 years is good to protect them, but it also depends on your usage. 

Drainage

If you take care of your pavement surfaces, but your drainage system is not efficient, you might face issues in the long run. You need to plan your drainage properly to secure the pavement surfaces like driveways and parking lots. Your paving professional will ensure that all areas where there are chances of water getting settled have slop and drainage.

Maintenance

In spring, it’s important to keep a check on the cracks, divots, potholes, slippage, pooling water. If there are one or more problems, get it repaired on priority. Rainfall and standing water initially weakens your pavement and later damages the surface to the point that it is unsafe.

Conclusion

Spring is a season when you need to be vigilant about the condition of your pavement surfaces like; parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, etc. You need to check the signs of deterioration on your pavements. Besides noticing the problems in the surface, it’s good to check your drainage system slopes and get your surfaces to seal coat. Although it’s important to take these measures in all seasons, it’s high time to take prevention in springtime.